This Week's Gem: Mulatu Astatke's "Shagu"

At AddisTunes, we love digging for rare musical gems in the form of old records.  This week, we’re featuring an oldie from the father of Ethio Jazz, Mulat Astatke.  This track, “Shagu” can be found on at least two different releases that I’m aware of: Mulatu’s “Afro-Latin Soul” on Worthy Records and a 4-track EP released by Addis Ababa Records sometime in the 1960s.  Both are pretty elusive for collectors.  If you are familiar with the Latin Jazz scene of the same era, you’ll undoubtedly notice similarities – though Mulatu was able to weave in his own melodies, rendering it distinctly Ethiopian.  Here is “Shagu” on Addis Ababa Records.

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